Movie-lovers cannot easily forget actor Raghuvaran who conquered the hearts of audience with his subtle yet powerful onscreen performances. The actor carved a niche for himself in the South Indian film industry within a short span of time, and juggled both commercial films and art movies with equal dedication.
His incredible acting prowess and his ability to portray any character with much ease and élan even earned him a strong fan base across South India. But Raghuvaran who thrilled the audience with his amazing onscreen performances often slipped into the abyss of alcoholism.
Raghuvaran’s marriage to actress Rohini did not last long and the couple parted ways in 2004. Even after the divorce Raghuvaran and Rohini continued their friendship, and the former was a beloved father to their young son Rishi. In an interview with a leading Tamil magazine, Rohini opened up about the bitter experiences she and her son had to face after Raghuvaran’s death in 2008. She says that even while she as an artiste is extremely grateful to her fans for their love, this admiration often snatches away the much-needed moments of privacy and personal space. “When Raghu died, I had gone to Rishi’s school to pick him up. I had asked not to give access for the media persons at Raghu’s house as I believed that we needed some privacy. Besides Rishi too was not mature enough to adjust with the crowd or the scribes swarming our place. When I reached there, nobody was there but when I got out of the car, we were surrounded by journalists. They did not back off even after I requested them to give us some privacy, at least for a while,” says Rohini with a heavy heart.
The actress revealed that her son is still reluctant to go out with her and that he loathes taking selfies. Rohini says, “Rishi was not even ready to accompany me to the event where Rajini sir released Raghu’s album. It was very difficult for me to convince him finally. However, I am extremely happy to see how deeply Raghu’s fans still love him.”
Raghuvaran died in 2008 due to organ failure resulting from excessive alcohol consumption. The actor, who acted in more than 300 movies, had essayed unforgettable roles in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. It was Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Hindi film Ashoka in which Raghuvaran acted for the last time.
Daivathinte Vikrithikal, Manithan, Muthu, Shivaji, Bheema, Bhasha, Amarkalam, Ullasam, Sooryamanasam, Muthalvan, Majnu, Run and Red are some of his most memorable movies. Raghuvaran had portrayed the role of former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in the Tamil movie Thudakkam.
